Antiseptic waste-cotton receiver.



W. L. SMITH.

ANT'ISEPTIC WASTE COTTON RECEIVER.

APPLICATION FILED mum, 1912.

Patented Jan. 14, 1913.

WITNESSES WESLEY LINFORD SMITH, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

ANTISEPIIC WASTE-COTTON RECEIVER.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. 14:, 19113.

Application filed. June 7, 1912. Serial No. 702,197.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WESLEY Lmronio SMITH, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Antiseptic Waste-Cotton Receivers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to antiseptic receivers for waste cotton.

, such as are used by dentists, surgeons, or others to receive small wads or swabs of cotton after use.

The object of the invention is to produce a simple and efiective receiver which is nor mally tightly closed, which can be readily opened by merely thrusting the forceps, pincers or other tool holding the cotton thereinto, which, when. the tool is withdrawn from the receiver, acts to remove the cotton from the tool, and which is cleanly, antiseptic and can be readily sterilized.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Fi ure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed according to my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the same when in normal or closed condition; and Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the same in open position by the insertion of a tool thereinto.

The receiver shown in the drawings comprises a suitable jar or vessel 1, which may be of any form, shape or proportions, and which preferably is formed of some suitable sanitary and antiseptic material such as glass, porcelain or the like, and translucent or opaque to prevent the contents from being seen. The bottom of the vessel preferably is made of extra thickness and weight, as shown, to prevent it from tipping over. The top of the receptacle is provided with a central opening forming a mouth 2 around which is formed an inverted conical seat 3, the angle of inclination preferably being about 45 degrees. This seat may be formed either by the glazed surface of the glass or by grinding the same, as preferred.

The receptacle is closed by a member 4; having an enlarged stopper or closure 5, the outer surface of which is conical and formed on the same inclination as that of the seat 3 to closely fit the same, and either glazed or ground. The stopper or closure 5 has connected thereto by the reduced spindle or neck 8, a bulbous depending weight 6, which may either be integral with the closure or a separate part connected thereto in any preferred manner. Preferably, however, the closure 5 and weight 6 will be made of the same material as the receiver 1.

The stopper or closure 5 projects above the upper surface of the receptacle and its peripheral portion forms a lip 7 which overhangs the upper face of the receptacle around the opening 2, as at 7, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The weight 6 holds the head or closure 5 to the seat 3 by gravity, and the surfaces of the head and seat are so formed as to give a perfectly tight lit and practicallv seal the receptacle.

The receptacle is designed particularly to receive small wads or swabs of cotton which dentists and surgeons use for wiping or swabbing teeth or other parts and which are customarily held with a pair of forceps or other suitable instrument. Then the user has finished with a wad of cotton B and desires to dispose of the same, he inserts the forceps or other instrument A into the receptacle, as shown in Fig. 3, by thrusting the point of the forceps underneath the peripheral .overhanging lip 7 of the stopper 5. The weight 6 tends to retain the stopper or closure in its normal position with the axis of the stopper and weight vertical. The force applied to insert the instrument, however, raises that side of the stopper, tips it and the weight out of the vertical, and causes the closure to ride up on the opposite side of the seat 3 and sufficiently to permit theend of the instrument to enter the receiver. Thus the Wad of used cotton can be thrust into the receptacle and the forceps opened to release the same with but one hand, it being unnecessary to first open the receptacle and then insert the forceps thereinto. When the forceps or other tool is withdrawn, the weight automatically returns the closure to its normal position to again tightly seal the opening of the reeeiver. If the cotton sticks to the forceps the act of withdrawing the forceps causes the cotton wad to contact with the lower face of the stopper 5 and the edge of the opening 2 and strips it from the forceps.

If preferred, solid or liquid disinfecting or deodorizing material, as for example formaldehyde, may be placed in the receptacle to destroy germs or odors in the material placed therein.

Preferably, the weight 6 is made of bulbous shape as shown and depends some distance below the stopper in order to bring the center of gravity of the stopper and weight as low as possible and increase the tendency of the parts to return te. normal position and tightly close the receptacle. The restricted neck 8 permits the tool to be inserted sufiiciently so that the cotton when freed will drop to the bottom of the receptacle. It will, of course, be understood that the largest diameter of the weight 6 is less than the smallest diameter of the opening 2 to enable the closure to be inserted into or removed from the receptacle.

Both the closure 5 and the receptacle 1 may be given any ornamental shape or contour desired and may also be impressed stamped or embossed with advertising or other devices.

The receiver shown is exceedingly simple in construction and comprises but two parts, both of which are perfectly sanitary and may be readily cleaned or flushed with very little manipulation.

What I claim is:-

1. A waste cotton receiver, comprising a receptacle having its upper end provided with an opening forming a mouth, and a stopper in said mouth and having an upper portion projecting thereabove and resting upon the edge of said opening said stopper being provided with a depending weight, the construction being such as to provide a space between the upper projecting portion 3 of said stopper and the upper face of said receptacle into which space a suitable tool or implement may be inserted to lift the stopper and open the receptacle.

2. A waste cotton receiver, comprising a receptacle having a mouth provided with an inclined seat, and a cover for said receptacle comprising a stopper having an inclined portion fitting said seat and projecting above said receptacle, said stopper being enlarged at its lower end to form a depending weight arranged to normally hold said stopper to its seat.

3. A waste cotton receiver, comprising a receptacle having a mouth provided with an WVESLEY LINFORD SMITH.

\Vitnesses J. H. KLINE, F. W. WVINTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

